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iilitarii |)nkr of the | ojal |)(jion of ilte |[nitnl liate.^ 'f^' 



BY-LAWS 

ADOPTED, FEBRUARY 1, 1888, 
WITH AMENDMENTS TO DECEMBER 5, 1894, INCLUSIVE, 

For the Government of the Commandery of the State of 

New York. 



(i.) Meetings. 

L — The stated meetings of the Commandery shall be held on the first 
Wednesday of the months of May, October, December, February, and Apri l, 
at the hour of 6:30 o'clock p. m., at Delmonico's, corner of Fifth Avenue and 
Twenty-sixth Street, until otherwise ordered. 

The stated meetings shall close promptly at 7:30 o'clock p. m., except that 
for the election of officers, which shall close at 8 p. m., unless prolonged to a 
later designated hour by a two- thirds vote of the members present. 

Banquet. 

n. — The customary refection shall be served upon the adjournment of the 
stated meetings of the Commandery. The Commander shall preside at the 
same, or in his absence either of the Vice-Commanders in the order of his 
seniority, or in their absence a temporary chairman. The preparation and 
conduct thereof shall be committed to the Recorder and Treasurer, subject to 
such rules or regulations as may from time to time be made by the Board of 
Officers. Guests may be admitted thereto under Tegulations of the Board of 
Officers, which shall be published successively in the circular orders. 

(2 ) Committees. 

"All committees and officers no"t otherwise provided for shall be appointed 
by the Commander." The first-named member of a committee shall act as the 
chairman thereof. 



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(3 ) Al'l>LICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP. 

Applications for membership shall be presented to the Commandery at a 
stated meeting by announcement of the Recorder, and not otherwise, and 
none shall be received unless accompanied with the admission fee and the 
dues of the current year, and assurance that the prerequisites of the Constitu- 
tion have been complied with. 

The names of the applicants for membership, a brief detail of their military 
history, a statement of their present occupation and acdress, the names of 
their recommenders and of the Committee of Investigation, shall be contained 
in the circular order published by the Recorder for the stated meeting at which 
such applications are to be reported by the Committee of Investigation, for the 
action of the Commandery. 

(4.) Committees of Investigation. 

The Commander, at his discretion, may appoint more than one Committee 
of Investigation, apportioning to each committee, as near as may be, an aliquot 
part of the whole number of applications, and of such number, respectively, 
as in his judgment will secure a strict investigation. 

Private communications by any Companion to any member of a Committee 
of Investigation touching the worthiness or eligibility of any applicant whose 
application for membership is referred to such committee, or any private or 
personal knowledge thereof communicated by any member of the committee, 
shall in all instances be observed by them as strictly confidential as to the 
source thereof. Such communications, when written, shall be returned by 
the chairman of the committee to the writer thereof immediately after the 
final action of the Commandery. 

Any disclosure made of the author of such communication, or information 
given that may lead to such disclosure, shall be deemed " conduct unbecoming 
a gentlemen and inconsistent with that of a man of honor," and subject the 
offender to impeachment and expulsion. 

(5.) Circular Orders. 

Circular orders giving date and place of the stated meetings of the Com- 
mandery shall be issued by the Recorder and posted at the New York City 
Post Office at least fifteen days in advance of every such meeting to each 
member of the Commandery. Such orders may contain whatever information 
other than hereinbefore prescribed that the Recorder or Board of Officers shall 
think useful or expedient. Posting by the Recorder, in the New York City 
Post Office, to the members of the Commandery, notice of any special meeting 
seven days before such meeting, shall be deemed sufficient notice thereof 
under the Constitution. Circumstances shall govern the notice given for the 
convening of the Commandery on the death and funeral of a Companion. 

Every notice of a special meeting shall state by what authority and the 
business for which it is convened, and no other business than that named shall 
be transacted at such meeting. 



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(6.) Advisory Committee. 

^-^ thJsllTn 1'" h ' '" ""^Ir' Committee of not less than five and not more 

mandervrhl r"r '"'"""'''^''^^ 

mandery, to hold office for one year, and until their successors are appointed 

o confer and advise with Committees of Investigation, whenever thereunto 

arnffo"'" r '?• °"^ °' '''''^''''' "^^^ ^^^^-^ -^ -f - -ff-ting app 1^ 
cations for membership in the Order. 

(7-) Balloting for Members. 

adooTfon bwh' °r '''' Committee of Investigation having been read, upon its 
adoption by the Commandery the candidate shall be balloted for forthwith. 
At a ballot for members the Commander shall appoint two tellers who 

(8.) Members. 

with^Tf?"'-7'''".r''^"^' °' ^"^"^ ^"^"^^^^- °^ - --V or navy duty, 
within fifty miles of the City Hall in the city of New York, shall be classified 
as resident members, and all others as non-resident members. 

(9-) Nomination and Election of Officers. 

The Commander .shall appoint and announce to the Commandery at the 
slated noeeting m February of every year a Nominating Committee of n ne 
Companions whose duty it shall be to nominate a ticket for See s for 
eke ion at he stated meeting to be held in May following. This Committee 
shall be selected from among the resident members of^the RegurA my 
Navy, and Volunteer forces, to be divided equally as nearly as possMe 
among those three classes, and shall not include any member of the Board 

Letted CbaTt^th^'r.";" P"'"°^^' *^ '" ^^^ ^^^P-^-^ ^^-^ to 
De elected by ballot at the stated meeting to be held in May following which 

icket shall be by the Committee furnished to the Recorder within^emonL 

after is appointment, and the Recorder shall distribute the sare aTthe 

circS L L o I'^^'^rr^''^' ^' ^'^ ^>™--dery. together wfth le 
circular notice of the stated meeting in ^pril of every year and shall 
print a sufficient number of said tickets for use at the election' But the 
preparation and distribution of such ticket shall not prec ude any Com 
panion from making any nomination for any office, no^rom makL '"v" 
change in his vote, either by erasing any name or names, or by writL or 
pasting on his ballot the name or names of any Companion or LmpanL 
or whom he may desire to vote for any one or more of the offices In de 
ternjining the numbers of votes cast for any officer, only affiTm" i've vots" 
shall be counted. Blank votes shall not be counted. "lative votes 



The polls for the election of officers shall be held in a room other than the 
one in which the business meeting of the Commandery is held. They shall be 
opened at 6 p. m. and remain open until 7:30 p. m. of the same evening, at 
which hour they shall be closed and no more ballots received. Three tellers 
shall be appointed by the Commander at—the meeting in April to receive and 
count the ballots, who shall be furnished with alphabetical lists of all Com- 
panions entitled to vote, and a check be made opposite the name of each 
Companion as his ballot is deposited in the ballot-box. 

Immediately upon the closing of the polls the tellers shall proceed to count 
the ballots cast and make a return of the result to the Commander. 

(10.) Arrears. 

Immediately after the reading and adoption of the minutes at the stated 
meeting in the month of May, the Commander shall read Section i of Article 
XVffl. of the Constitution, so that, if desired, arrears may be paid or re- 
mitted before the ballot for officers of the Commandery is taken. 



(11.) Re.moval of Officers. 

When charges are preferred against an officer for malfeasance they shall 
be made in writing and be served upon the officer so charged at least twenty 
days before the date fixed for the hearing thereof, and no removal of said 
officer shall be made by the Commandery until he shall have had reasonable 
opportunities for his defense before a committee of five members. 



(12.) Tellers. 

Motions shall in all cases be reduced to writing if desired by the Com- 
mander or a Companion. 

On motions and resolution the vote may be viva voce or by division. A 
division by tellers shall be taken at the demand of fifteen members. 

(13.) Library Committee. 

The Commander shall annually, as soon after the stated meeting in October 
as practicable, appoint three Companions as a Committee to be known as the 
" Library Committee," who shall have charge of the library, archives and relics. 
They shall prepare and maintain a proper catalogue of the same, and shall 
expend, from time to time, in the purchase of books such sums as the Com- 
mandery, on the recommendation of the Board of Officers, may appropriate 
for that purpose. They .shall select from among military papers read and 
deposited by resolution of the Commandery among its archives, such as in 
their opinion should be published, and on their publication being ordered, 
shall edit the same. 



(i4.) Funds. 

ist. The admission fee to the Commandery shall be $35. 

2d. The annual dues shall be, for each resident member, $10; and for 
each non-resident member, $5; payable in advance, on or before the annual 
meeting of the Commandery, in the month of May, in each year. Resident 
Companions elected between January and May shall pay only one-h^lf of the 
annual dues for the current year. 

The sums of money deposited to the credit of the Commandery in various 
savings banks, or elsewhere, shall be known as the Permanent Fund. The 
sums of money received for admission fees and annual dues, and from all other 
sources, shall constitute a fund to be known as the General Fund. All current 
expenses of the fiscal year shall be chargeable to and defrayed from the Gen- 
eral Fund, and of the surplus, if any, of the General Fund remaining at the 
end of the fiscal year, one-half thereof shall be transferred to the credit of the 
Permanent Fund, and the remaining one-half thereof shall be carried to the 
credit of the General Fund of the succeeding year. 

The Trea urer may, for convenience, during the fiscal year, draw from the 
General Fund sums chargeable upon the Permanent Fund, but all such sums 
shall be chargeable upon and be duly debited against the Permanent Fund, 
and be so reported by the Treasurer in each of his quarterly reports. 

In case of drafts made by the Treasurer in the course of the fiscal year 
upon the General Fund of sums chargeable to the Permanent Fund, their 
total at the end of the fiscal year shall be supplied to the General Fund by 
drawing it from the Permanent Fund, and a full account thereof shall be 
given to the Commandery by the Treasurer in his annual report. 

(15.) Withdrawal of Funds. 

The Permanent Fund, whether in savings banks or elsewhere deposited, 
shall not be withdrawn, or any part thereof, except by resolution of the Com- 
mandery, stating the amount and for what purpose, duly certified by the 
presiding officer and Recorder. The check or draft to be signed by the 
Treasurer and the Commander or Senior Vice Commander. 

(16.) Relief. 

All sums paid by the Treasurer, whether on the approval of the Board of 
Officers for "temporary assistance of the unfortunate," or by resolution of the 
Commandery for relief, shall be made chargeable to, and be drawn from the 
Permanent Fund. It shall be the duty of the Relief Committee to report all 
cases of temporary assistance at the next stated meeting of the Commandery, 
with their reasons for the same. 

Resolutions for relief when ordered by the Commandery shall require a 
two-thirds vote for adoption. 

Applications for relief shall be made in writing to the Recorder, stating 
the grounds on which the relief is asked, and the same shall be presented by 



him to the Co'timandery at its next meeting, and be forthwith referred without 
debate, to the Relief Committee. 

(17.) Security of Treasurer. 

The Treasurer shall give a bond, conditioned for "the faithful performance 
of his duty" in the penal sum of $5,000. with two sufficient sureties, to be 
approved by the Board of Officers. 

(18.) Standing Committee on Accounts. 

The Council shall audit and adjust the Commandery's books of accounts 
every three months, and as often as done make a report of the same at the next 
stated meeting. 

(19.) Fines. 

A Companion introducing or discussing sectarian or partisan topics at a 
meeting of the Commandery shall immediately be called to order by the 
Commander, who, thereupon, shall refer the offense to the Board of Officers. 
If the offense be committed within the precincts of the Commandery other than 
at the meeting, the Board of Officers shall take cognizance of it. 

The precincts of the Commandery shall be the place of its meeting and 
the place of its refection. 

No fine, however, for this or other violaiion, or neglect of duty by a Com- 
panion, shall be imposed without opportunity first given to him of being heard 
in his defense. 

(20.) Military Papers. 

Papers on military reminiscences relating to the War, after approval of the 
Board of Officers, may be read at the stated meetings of the Commandery, and 
on resolution of the Commandery shall be preserved among its archives. 

(21.) Headquarters. 

A suitable place shall be maintained at the expense of the Commandery, 
wherein shall be deposited its archives and library and whatever else of value 
or importance. It shall, at all reasonable times, be accessible to Companions 
and visitors introduced by them as the headquarters of the Commandery. It 
shall be under the care and its contents in the custody of the Recorder, subject, 
however, to the control of the Board of Officers. 

(22.) Applications for Reinstatement to Membership. 

Every application for reinstatement to membership shall be made in 
writing and signed by the applicant. Upon such application, the Board of 
Officers shall act as a Committee of Investigation, and if satisfied that the 



candidate is worthy, shall favorably report the name to the Commandery. If 
the report be unfavorable, the application cannot be withdrawn, but the 
candidate must be balloted for. 

(23.) By-Laws. 

These By-Laws shall not be repealed or amended, nor shall any new by- 
law be made, unless notice of the repeal, or amendment thereof, or of the new 
by-law proposed, shall have been given at the stated meeting previous to that 
at which it is moved, nor unless adopted by two-thirds of the members voting. 

All Resolutions, Motions or Orders in conflict with these By-Laws are 
hereby repealed. 



t-xoKHKY OF CONGRESS 



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